BALLARAT cyclists Rhys Gillett and Jay Bourke will be hoping for big things in the near future.The duo have just returned after their first competitive race for the Cycle City team at the Tour of Southern Grampians event at the weekend.The race was a three-stage event with a 130km road stage, a 50km criterium and a 120km road stage.Although the team of six from Ballarat, Melbourne and Geelong was not the overall winner, it was competitive.Bourke was ninth across the line in the first stage.For Gillett, the step-son of Mt Helen Australian track cyclist Amy Gillett who was killed during a training ride in Germany in 2005, the race was special.Gillett won the third stage of the race, his first in an open race meet.The plan was to have a stronger rider leading the pack but it did not eventuate."He (team mate Charles) was in the break and we sat in and let the Savings and Loans (team) chase and they caught him just as we got to the first king of the mountain climb of the day which was 30km from the end," Gillett said."We got to the top of that and there was only 10m between us and I saw an opportunity to attack and went for it alone. I ended up going in alone and won about a minute in front."Bourke said win and rain made conditions very difficult for riders, but the pace was still set very fast."It was made tougher by conditions - we had strong winds and rain and the Grampians is hilly terrain so it makes it difficult in the high speed racing but I still think we averaged each day no less than 42kmh an hour across 120km," he said.

Cyclists hoping for big things after tough Grampians event

GOOD START: Ballarat cyclists Rhys Gillett and Jay Bourke joined the Cycle City team for a tough race at the Tour of Southern Grampians competition.

BALLARAT cyclists Rhys Gillett and Jay Bourke will be hoping for big things in the near future.The duo have just returned after their first competitive race for the Cycle City team at the Tour of Southern Grampians event at the weekend.The race was a three-stage event with a 130km road stage, a 50km criterium and a 120km road stage.Although the team of six from Ballarat, Melbourne and Geelong was not the overall winner, it was competitive.Bourke was ninth across the line in the first stage.For Gillett, the step-son of Mt Helen Australian track cyclist Amy Gillett who was killed during a training ride in Germany in 2005, the race was special.Gillett won the third stage of the race, his first in an open race meet.The plan was to have a stronger rider leading the pack but it did not eventuate."He (team mate Charles) was in the break and we sat in and let the Savings and Loans (team) chase and they caught him just as we got to the first king of the mountain climb of the day which was 30km from the end," Gillett said."We got to the top of that and there was only 10m between us and I saw an opportunity to attack and went for it alone. I ended up going in alone and won about a minute in front."Bourke said win and rain made conditions very difficult for riders, but the pace was still set very fast."It was made tougher by conditions - we had strong winds and rain and the Grampians is hilly terrain so it makes it difficult in the high speed racing but I still think we averaged each day no less than 42kmh an hour across 120km," he said.